NaLu Fics for the Soul
by Unicess
Summary: It's NaLu week! Yay! Fill up on your fangirling (or fanboying) tendencies with fluffy NaLu! Pure fluff. T for safety. Title says it all! Future: What did matter? Was it her past? Maybe her future? And how did Natsu fit in to either one of those?
1. Gifts

**Hey guys! Happy NaLu week! And Happy Birthday to Lucy! I was going to create a tribute, but this can be her present, ha! I'm a little late in the day, but, hey! I made this all this morning anyway. Just wanted to say that I thank you for even****_ looking_**** at my first chapter of NaLu week! Just to let those who do not know, know, tumblr's NaLu week is a week consisting of writers making a number of seven chapters, off seven prompts, one for each day of the week, all for the couple Natsu and Lucy. Check out tumblr and search for NaLu week for further details.**

**And warning: love rants and fluff overdosage! Caution!**  
**Please read and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

He was frozen. Shocked. Paralyzed. The feelings still resonated upon him. He didn't realize it, and now he felt foolish for not noticing it. The sensation that stilled him remained.

The soft touch of her lips still lingered on his skin.

Natsu blinked, unable to believe it. It was her. She had only been bait for these feelings, allowing them to surface undeniably all over him. Every touch she placed on him was still there.

At first, he was in pain. The physical kind. But by the time the girl had gotten by his side, and the moment she touched him, he was miraculously soothed. His breath was catching in his throat the more he thought of it.

And from Lucy of all people.

He'd never expected it from her. Not one shred of thought traced to Lucy, concerning…  
his non-platonic feelings. Whatever they were.

Natsu had learned of all emotions long ago, from Igneel. His great, scaly father had taught him how to feel and fight with emotion. Natsu smiled to himself. That was what made him strong. And that was what would make him stronger.

Igneel had told him of frustration, pain, happiness, anger, excitement, will, grief; and Natsu had learned and been taught to fight with all of them. He'd learned to fight with love. But that was not all Igneel had taught him. The dragon told him of something that would not only help him be strong and fight, but fuel the will and meaning of the fight. It was love. A type of love.

A branch of love different than what he felt for his guild and friends.

His father told him that this love was stronger, unpredictable and emotion-fueling than just plain old love. Igneel lectured that one day, Natsu would find someone to share an unbreakable love for. That no matter what, this love would propel him to do great things, and the person he would share it with would do the same. They would fight for each other, care for each other, and protect each other. Know one another like the back of their hand. An unbreakable bond.  
And it would alter Natsu's life forever. It was called being _in_ love.

When Natsu had been first taught of it, he was fascinated and confused. His thoughts revolved around-  
A new sparring partner?! _Cool!_

And- What?! Love? Wait, with a _girl_? I don't know any girls!

But when he found out exactly what a girl was and met one for himself, he was disgusted with the idea of being in love.

Natsu winced at his obnoxious behavior. Then again, he was quite young. And as he thought more; He must have given his adoptive father an enormous migraine and been a pain in the neck to raise. Thinking again, Natsu realized he hadn't changed much at all. The more he wondered about it, the more he grew to realize he was still acting somewhat like his pre-adolescent-age self. He sighed. He hadn't changed much- but Lucy made him change a little bit. Just awhile ago.

And in one short minute too.

Natsu sighed again. Lucy hadn't done much, really. Maybe it truly was him after all. He turned his head to his left, eyeing the sleeping blonde's figure under the blanket. He was still pretty sore and roughed up from the group's latest mission, which was many times more strenuous than he had originally thought. Lucy had healed him. A lot more than she probably thought. That was some weird talent of hers, he guessed.

Natsu flopped over, so he faced Lucy's sleeping body. He eyed her peaceful intakes of breath, and her exhales as she made a continuous breathing pattern while sleeping. She was so quiet, and she was- Natsu frowned at her-

Kind of beautiful. Natsu felt a blush rise across his face and scolded himself for it, even though it was dark and everyone was asleep, so no one would notice. Natsu never even thought to think of Lucy in a way that did not suggest they were great friends. It was just a way he had grown up, the way he had lived. But he didn't know or why, but… Lucy had this power to make him feel warmer, and happier, and even _more _loved than before. It was Lucy's gift.

Maybe she had this power over everyone, the power to connect and weave her story, her heart within others, so they would all feel an instant bond with her. Lucy was so kind, and _loving_. He knew other people loved her too, and the entire guild loved her as their family, but Natsu had always felt he had this partial authority over her. He was selfish, and he knew it, when it came to her. He didn't know _why_, though… he felt she was his.

He didn't want her in a controlling way, but as a… have and to hold sort of way. He cared about her a lot, and he didn't want to hide it anymore. What she had done… it made him want her forever. So that those stupid guys she dated wouldn't chase her anymore, and so she wouldn't date them or something like that.

She had the power to heal him and take care of him and propel him to do better, and Natsu knew only she had that power over _him_. Lucy had the talent to make him happy.  
And he didn't know what he would do if she left him, taking her gift with her.

Natsu shimmied closer to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut. Because when she had _kissed _him, when she pressed her own soft, pink lips against his face, he felt loved. He felt like she could take care of him for all of eternity, and he could do the same. For the first time, since Igneel explained in detail to him before leaving his life forever, he knew what being in love was. Because he was in love with her.

"Lucy, please don't leave. Stay here with me and Happy and take care of us. We- no _I _love you! I said it. I'm in love with you. Don't leave." He whispered to her sleeping form, pulling her into his arms tightly.

Natsu smiled as he heard her sigh happily and snuggle into him.  
"Natsu…" She murmured, and the dragon-slayer felt content, and felt like happiness was blowing him up like balloon.

He pressed his face into her neck and soft strands of hair and finally he _knew. _He knew that Lucy and her beautiful self and beautiful gift and something like that were not going anywhere. She was here to stay, and Natsu felt like an idiot for thinking otherwise. She was his Luce after all, and he had a kiss to prove it.

And as he finally took the time to relax and doze off in his partner's bed, he grinned into the back of her neck, with devious thoughts.

It would be a kiss on the lips next time.

* * *

**Ah, that was refreshing to read and write. And stressful to write. Any how, what did you think? Was it lame? Maybe. Corny? Most likely. I'd like to apologize if was confusing in any way. And yes, it was a little unconventional. And fun to write! So please! Don't refrain from writing me a review, it's all to help me improve! I might even post an extra chapter discussing what exactly happened... Thanks for checking my fanfic out!**

Oh yeah! Here's a random bonus I wanted to add! As bad as it may be! Optional!

* * *

Lucy wanted to scream when she heard him say that. _We- no I love you! I said it. I'm in love with you. Don't leave._

She wanted to shriek with excitement at Natsu's words. She wanted to turn around and hug him and kiss him senseless. Lucy wanted to say she loved him too, over and over again until he got sick of it. When had he figured it out? Was it because she kissed him? Lucy smiled at herself and decided not to move as Natsu snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him.

"Don't go." He whispered into her neck.

Lucy was so happy! She could finally scoff at Aquarius when she heard that the celestial spirit got a boyfriend or some other. Beat that Aquarius! Beat _that_!

Lucy sighed and snuggled deeper into Natsu's enclosing arms. She relaxed, and let herself fall asleep again. At first she was angry when Natsu wrapped his arms around her and woke her up in the middle of the night. But after he said that, her entire mood altered, and she was content with it. That moment. And she didn't ever want him to leave either.

Lucy wanted to hug him back, tell him how she felt, but she was exhausted. And this was enough. She was happy, but she would tell him when she was ready, when the sun woke her up with welcoming rays of light.

Natsu always had the ability to bring out the best in her. She trusted him the most. She loved him the most. He had the talent to keep her going, and keep her warm. It was... Natsu's gift. She liked this moment enough, and she would be patient. Natsu was probably already sleeping.

She would kiss him good morning.


	2. Vulnerable

**Hey! Its day number two! Exciting, right? Here's my one-shot for the prompt Vulnerable. I did it all this morning, planning and everything, because I, well... procrastinated and watched ****_Kimi ni Todoke _****pretty much all yesterday. *sighs* Yes. I'm bad like that. And I like fluffy Shojo's too much. But just in advance... Thank you so much for even looking at this little fanfic! I will forever be in your debt!**

**Disclaimer: C'mon, you know I don't own Fairy Tail! Who's idea was this anyway? **

* * *

"Natsu, stop moving."

"Mmm."

Lucy pulled her hand back, trying to fight the overwhelming desire to groan and be frustrated. But she couldn't be that way. Not now. Not after what happened.

Lucy glanced up at her teammate, although she was frightened to do so.  
"Natsu. If you want me bandage your wounds, you're going to have to sit still." She said softly, trying to gain a look in the eye from him.

He didn't respond. He just sat there, his cheek turned away from her. Lucy sighed.  
It wasn't his fault. Their day had started out as an ordinary day, going on a mission to pay rent. Only, Natsu and Happy were taking Lucy with them to mostly search for Igneel. Lucy was ecstatic at the idea. It was after all, how they met. Natsu was looking for a huge, red, scaly dragon, and ended up with a seventeen year old, blonde girl. His search had sparked their meeting. And a new search would spark another adventure. Which took place in a further off forest, and their job was to get rid of a herd of monsters rampaging everywhere and destroying the neighboring, tiny villages. 

It started out well. But it was a ton much more than what met the eye. But everything slid downhill, getting worse, the problems growing like a snowball rolling down a snow-covered hill. Gaining momentum. Gaining force and danger. Until the climax, the worst possible moment in the day. Judging by the entire mission, Lucy really couldn't guess where it all went wrong. It just evolved from bad, to worse, to plain awful. As it turned out, the groups of monsters were being mind controlled by a trio of highly skilled mages, despite their unthreatening appearances.  
It was a tough mission, but they pulled through. Not without injuries though.

And here she was. Just trying to patch up Natsu, who was being more stubborn than ever. She could understand how he felt. He must have been disappointed and angry. And by the looks of it, he still was. He was so mad he wouldn't even let her put a Band-Aid on him. But she couldn't just let him sit there, his wounds open so they wouldn't heal or even get infected.

Lucy clenched her fists, she reached behind her for a cotton ball, scooped up the alcohol the villagers generously supplied them with, and doused the fluffy white ball in disinfecting liquid.  
"Natsu. Look at me." She said through gritted teeth.

Natsu blinked, ignoring her and setting off Lucy's mood again. She felt sorry for him, but he was being a pain in the neck. She just wanted to help him for goodness sakes! Lucy took a deep breath.  
"_Look _at me. You're not going to get any better if you don't let me clean you up." She said sternly, her eyes fierce.

Natsu chose to turn the slightest; his face facing the ground as he casually ignored her. Lucy narrowed her eyes. She was seething. Wendy was ways away, back at Magnolia. They were in a deep green forest, far from society and any doctors. He had been bitten, punched, scratched, thrown, stepped upon and bruised. And he wouldn't even let her clean up a tiny cut on his forehead. She couldn't take it anymore.

Gritting her teeth and opening her closed fist, she glared at him and allowed her hand to flick across his face. Panting slightly, she only realized what she had done. She had slapped him across the face. Not even that hard and not hard enough to move his face more than an inch, or make a distinct smacking noise. Not hard enough to leave a red, burning handprint. But she still felt guilty. Taking a breath in, she looked at his eyes, which finally met hers.

"Natsu, we are miles away from society, with no doctors and no Wendy. I'm sorry my wound dressing abilities aren't good enough for you or something. You're just going to have to sit tight and deal with it because I'm all you've got right now." Lucy finished her tirade of anger.

Natsu sighed and looked up at her, his eyes blank and dead.  
"Okay." He replied emotionlessly, finally facing her.

Lucy's face dropped from an angry frown to a worried expression. She saw the look in his usually bright eyes. They were dead. He was upset. Her lower lip quivering, Lucy brought her free, left hand to the side of Natsu's face and looked into his eyes. She lifted her trembling right hand, one which contained an alcohol soaked cotton ball. She brought the hand up to Natsu's cut on his cheekbone. She'd start there.

For a few minutes she sat there, just slowly cleaning out the minor lacerations on his face, moving up to the slightly deep cut across his forehead. She wasn't speaking, as she gently dabbed antibiotic over the wound. Lucy was only listening to the crickets chirping in perfect harmony and patterns and the flickering of their makeshift fire, hungrily burning the branches they fed to its demanding appetite.

She unraveled a roll of bandages and placed a stream across the clean cut.  
She decided to speak.

"I-I'm sorry about what happened. You didn't find your dad, and the mission didn't go so well-"She started.

Natsu shook his head.  
"It happened. We can't do anything about it. Though... where's Happy?"

Lucy smiled weakly.  
"He's sleeping. Happy's pretty exhausted after all that." She murmured, her eyes flicking over to a mound that was the blue cat, sleeping under thick blankets and sleeping bags.

Natsu nodded.  
"We all are." He concluded.

Lucy sat there, silenced by the discomfort of it all.  
"Natsu, is your shoulder alright? I remember that one of the monsters got to you and-"

"I'll be fine. One of the villagers did a makeshift wrap on it." He interjected gruffly, looking away from her.

Lucy opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it quickly. Was he still in a bad mood?  
"If you're still upset about not finding Igneel, we can go on another mission after this one, I'm glad to help-"

"No, it's not that." He snapped, still not looking at her.

Lucy sat there on her knees, hurt and confused by Natsu's differentiating words and actions.  
"T-Then I'm sorry all this happened, I mean we still got the reward and our injuries are actually minor-"

"That's not it either!" He yelled, reaching out and grabbing her wrist.

Lucy flinched back, yanking herself out of his grip, and insulted at his behavior.  
"Why are you yelling at me? And why are you so upset with me?" She screamed back, conflicted by how she should act towards him.

Frankly, she wanted to know why he was being so cold and indifferent to her. She had never, ever, _ever _ had this sort of problem with their friendship, so what was happening now?

Natsu stared at her, narrowing his eyes before scoffing and looking away.  
"I didn't mean to yell at you." He said, seeming flustered.

Lucy frowned and held her elbows, arms crossed tightly.

"It's just… You… You're _babying _me!" He exclaimed at the blonde in frustration.

Lucy was shocked. Had she really been babying him? It must have been annoying, but she hadn't even noticed it. Did she really pity him? Lucy felt embarrassed. She knew he didn't like those sort of things, special treatment or anything. She had grown up with it, and she hated it too. But deep, down she really felt bad after everything. Nothing went their way that mission.

Lucy felt her face grow hot, and she looked at the ground, at the dirt, away from Natsu's eyes.  
"Look, I'm sorry for trying to help you. You're really down from what happened today, so-"

"You think that's the only reason I'm mad?" He asked, apparently bewildered.  
Lucy glanced up at him, her brown eyes wide, meeting Natsu's dark green ones.

"That's not why I'm angry or anything. But sure, it is a disappointment I didn't find him. It always is." He pronounced.

Lucy tilted her head to the side.  
"Natsu…"

"And yeah I'm mad those three idiots almost bested us. I'm mad we got a little beat up too." Natsu added, cutting her off quickly.

"But the thing I'm upset about the most… is you. I'm ticked off with the fact I was right there during our whole showdown with them, and you still managed to get hurt. I mean, look at yourself. Your leg must be killing you!" He exploded, raising a hand to gesture to Lucy.

The blonde turned her eyes down at her bare leg, given the fact she chose to wear a skirt. In her opinion, it wasn't that bad. And it was covered by layers of thin gauze, so she was fine. It was a long scratch, four claw-marks, traveling down from the side of her knee down to a couple inches above her ankle when uncovered. And it didn't hurt that much. As long as she didn't do anything too strenuous, she was fine. She drifted her eyes back up to Natsu's face.

"It's not that bad. I'm sure it doesn't hurt more than that bite on your shoulder. It is all patched up anyways- Plus, it only hurts if I walk too fast on it-"Lucy frowned, ending abruptly

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked slowly, Natsu giving her an expression she didn't quite understand. He was staring at her in a way that seemed… confused, upset, or even… worried.

Natsu turned away suddenly flustered.  
"N-Nothing. 

But she could still see the dark, sad look in his eyes, even from the sideways angle, and she knew something was wrong.  
"Hey, I really am sorry I made you worry. This day didn't go as planned." She said, reaching out and lightly touching his hand.

He froze and looked up at her, and his eyes were wide.  
"It's not your fault. We'll just do better next time." He said blankly. Lucy could tell he was hiding.

"You're not fooling me, Natsu. You're still upset aren't you?" Lucy quizzed with a tilt of her head.

Natsu turned away.  
"I-I don't know. I mean, you'd think after searching time after time and getting nothing, not finding him, I'd be able to cope better. But… I'm always disappointed. And I thought that bringing you along would help- you're like a lucky charm. You work magic." He said disappointment clear in his voice.

Lucy was instantly taken aback. Did he really think she would help?  
Lucy had no idea what it must feel like. To search and search for the one who raised you, cared for you, taught you everything you know- And you still come out with nothing. Lucy had nothing to relate to how disappointing and frustrating it must feel.

Natsu still didn't look at her, even as she covered his hand with hers.  
"And knowing I dragged you into this and you get hurt… I always get into these stupid scuffles and stuff, but now I don't know what to think anymore, after you got injured helping me-"

He didn't have time to continue, as Lucy threw her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her. She was crying hysterically in seconds.  
"Oh Natsu… I'm sorry… I-I didn't… I didn't want you to be worried! You have enough to deal with, searching for your dad. I don't want to be a burden! And you have every right to be sad! So stop worrying about me!" Lucy cried, the tears in her eyes, overflowing and falling off onto her cheeks.

Lucy wanted to slap herself as Natsu surely but slowly wrapped his arms around her in return. _She _was supposed to be comforting him! _He _was the sad one! She was disgusted at herself for crying. He was disappointed. Natsu was the one who searched and never found. He was the one who looked in vain, and was always misunderstood after coming back without good news. They thought he was fine, coming back empty-handed. She thought he was vulnerable. Vulnerable after every time he was let down, having to piece up his strength again, every time. This was the side of Natsu she rarely saw. And it was the side she wanted to shelter the most.

Lucy sniffled and cried again, running her hands through his hair.  
"I'm sorry… I don't know why I'm crying…" She said, in between her tears, and laughing weakly.

Natsu took both of her arms and pushed her away gently so he could look her in the eye.  
"Yeah. I don't know why you're crying either." He said, smiling and frowning hopelessly at her.

Lucy breathed in again, panting slightly as her lip quivered. He grinned at her, and Lucy thought she saw a glint of extra water in his eyes. She blinked. Then it was gone. She guessed it was the trick the light from the fire caused, or maybe from her own blurry eyes, but she secretly knew he was about to cry too.

"At least something good came out from these wild goose chases." He murmured. His smile dropped and he stared at Lucy in worry.

"What?! What happened? Did I say something?" He asked, bewildered as Lucy burst into tears again, wailing uncontrollably.

"Yes." She whispered. But she knew he couldn't hear her, as she was already smashed lovingly against his warm, overbearing chest. 

"You did say something." She mumbled, clinging to the fabric of his t-shirt, already wet, thanks to her salty tears.

In those seconds, she wondered why he was comforting her when it should be vice versa, considering the circumstances. But then she almost froze when she was slapped across the face in realization; he wasn't just comforting her.

She was comforting him.

When she cried, he'd shove her into his arms, give her a bone crushing hug, and wipe away at her tears. When he was sad, she would still cry, because she loved him too much. He was what brought out her tears, the sad ones and happy ones. She would always be there. They were after all, clinging to one another for dear life.  
Whatever happened, she wanted to be the one to comfort him. Because if one of them was sad, the other one would be too. They fit into each other, like puzzle pieces. The sadness, comfort and love were mutual, and Lucy couldn't ask for more. The more she thought the more she realized. 

Maybe they were all vulnerable in the end. 

* * *

**Well… That was interesting to write. Considering I wrote it this morning. That was my spin on the prompt Vulnerable! It was lots of fun, and I was on fire! Every time I got a muse, I was speeding across the keyboard like a computer typing champ! So cool… Just an ice breaker question… Do any of you get these crazy weird writing muses and then go all out on the keyboard?! Just to clarify two times, I get like that. Any who… I hope you liked! ****_Please _****ignore that little voice in your head that says ****_don't review! _****Because I believe that little voice is thinking the wrong thing… Thank you so much for checking this tiny little fic out there in that giant sea of fanfiction! I love you! **


	3. Ribbon

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late post! But better late than never, right? Today has been a busy day... So I present this drabble that I wrote in one sitting! Though it may not be the best, I can assure you it is heartwarming. Hopefully. I loved writing it, and the idea hit me last night before I dozed off to sleep... So enjoy! And thank you for all your support so far! It means so much to me! **

* * *

Lucy sighed happily and stretched out in the living area of her home, apparently in a good mood. No… _Great_ mood! This was amazing! She might finally get her big break as a model on Sorcerer Weekly! Like Mira!

Lucy squealed at the thought. The group recently went to a beach party, and she finally caught the eye of a photographer, who just _happened _to work for her idolized magazine! Lucy smiled to herself. It was about time too. Glancing down, she quickly got out of stretching positions, remembering her attire. It was one of the cutest dresses she owned, short, form-fitting and low cut, like most of her other outfits. But this dress was different somehow. It would make her stand out for sure, and it was in one of her favorite colors! Blue!

Though the blonde's other favorite was pink, she decided on light blue halter dress, a color she seldom wore. And it was nice outside, so she might as well wear her brand new dress! And everything was going smoothly too. Her hair was down and fixed up pretty, her teeth were brushed, her make-up was on- though she didn't wear that much, she didn't think she needed it- and she had her shoes picked out. Everything was planned and ready- even though she was thirty-minutes too early.

In Lucy's opinion, better early than late. 

She felt so good, she could take the world by storm- And she had so many questions! Like- Where what the photo shoot? Would she answer a questionnaire? How much was she being paid? There were so many questions and not enough answers! Oh, what a world! 

Lucy tilted her head to the side, facing the kitchen. Maybe she should write a few more pages to her novel. Or was Levy even finished reviewing and editing her latest chapter-

"Hey Luce!"

Lucy shrieked and nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around, clutching her heart, to meet the gaze and face of her two teammates; Natsu and Happy. The crazy weirdoes had broken in through her open window again.

"Oh Great Spirit King!" Lucy gasped out, bending over slightly in relief.

"You scared me half to death!" She spewed out, rambling over her own words.

Natsu and Happy only grinned.

Happy flew around her house, as if searching for something.  
"You don't have to be scared!" He called out from the corner of her kitchen, stopping to try and pull her refrigerator open in vain.

Happy wiped his forehead as if he was breaking sweat.  
"Why?!" He strained his voice dramatically.

Lucy folded her arms triumphantly and beamed.  
"Cat-proof!" She cackled loudly, feeling victorious.

Lucy smirked as Happy begin to cry artificial tears. She rolled her eyes as the cat complained.

"Lusssshhhiii! You're so _mean!_" He wailed, sitting Lucy's bed beside Natsu.

Lucy shifted her weight onto her left hip, raising a brow at the two.  
"What are you doing here? Didn't you guys want go on a mission?" She quizzed, curious of their antics.

The cat and dragon-slayer frowned.  
"Why?" They asked, one in tune with the other, eyeing Lucy with suspicion.

Now Lucy was confused. Hadn't someone told them of today's circumstances? Surely Mira brought it up?

"I'm busy. I'm doing a photo-shoot for Sorcerer Weekly today." She dead-panned briefly, glancing between them in curiosity.

They stared at her. She stared back.

"WHAT?!" They exclaimed loudly, making her eardrums ring in protest to harsh sounds. Lucy winced in reply. 

"Yes." She said dryly in response.

The two seemed bewildered.  
"Why would they ask _you?_" Happy questioned in disgust.

Lucy gasped, apparently insulted.  
"_Well_, why wouldn't they?" She replied equally as spitting as Happy's remark.

The blue cat put a paw to his chin to think for a moment.  
"Yeah you're right! Why wouldn't they?" He squeaked in response.

Lucy's eye twitched in irritation. That cat never ceased to amaze her (or confuse her).

Natsu tilted a head to the side, frowning.  
"And you're wearing that?" He asked, giving her an expression she had no idea how to decipher.

Lucy looked down at herself and folded her arms over her chest in discomfort.  
"Well… yeah." The blonde swayed awkwardly.

It wouldn't hurt to ask, right…?

"Does it look… bad?" She questioned, inquisitive and slightly insecure about his remark. The warmth began to spread across her face in embarrassment.

Natsu blinked at her, Lucy shifted weight on her hips and rotating her shoulders uncomfortably.  
"No. It doesn't look bad… it's just-"Natsu frowned. "You're going out in public like that?" He asked, bewildered.

Lucy was taken aback.  
"Yes…? Of course! I'm wearing this for the photo shoot! It's only an introduction anyway!" She replied back.

"And of course I'm wearing this in public! How do you think I'm gonna get there?!" Lucy added, nearly laughing at Natsu's idiocy.

She stopped giggling however when Natsu's eyes widened with horror as if she'd suddenly grown an extra head. Lucy was shocked at his expression. She'd never seen him so horrified, _ever.  
_

Happy frowned innocently.  
"Something wrong Nat-SUUUU!" The blue cat yelped as Natsu snatched him up in desperation.

"W-What?! _You_? Walking around like _that_?! I-I… I can't let you leave your home looking like _that_!" Natsu spluttered, scrambling up off Lucy's bed.

Lucy slapped a hand to her face.  
"I don't understand you! You said I looked fine! Are you saying I didn't dress up enough or something?" She nearly shouted. Zeroing in on his recent actions, her eyes widened with surprise.

"H-Hey! Who gave you the right to look through my wardrobe drawers?" Lucy spat, staring at his peculiar behavior.

Natsu opened a drawer and frowned. Happy peered over his shoulder in glee and opened his blue mouth.  
"Lucy, are a couple of strings even considered as panties-"

Lucy went red.  
"Get outta there!" She screeched, throwing a hairbrush at them spontaneously as Happy snickered. Natsu slammed the pantie drawer shut and looked through the others speedily.

Natsu then glanced up from the drawers to up at Lucy, a bundle of clothes in his arms.  
"I said you didn't look bad- In fact, you look good!" He said quickly, roughly throwing a pile of clothing articles at the blonde's face.

Lucy stopped to think, a blush erupting on her cheeks again. Did Natsu say… good?

"Kyaa!- Then what's wrong with what I'm wearing?!" Lucy cried in exasperation. She stared at the clothes in her hands.

"What the- Natsu! These are all winter clothes!" Lucy shrieked. She dropped the bundle, and held up a top.

"This is a turtleneck shirt! It has long sleeves- What?! They all have long sleeves! And- SWEATPANTS?! Are you insane?!" Lucy screamed, dropping the top and sweatpants as if they were on fire.

Happy put his paws to his waist.  
"Yeah- ARE YOU CRAZY!?" He imitated, shaking a paw at Natsu for pure entertainment.

Natsu nodded.  
"Those should do it. Just wear those and you'll be fine! Have fun!" He said cheerfully, chuckling while wrapping a muffler around her neck and slapping a beanie atop her head. He patted her on the back, trying to encourage her.

Lucy gawked at him. Why was he acted so… weird? Or weirder than he usually did…  
"Why are you acting like a crazy father?! Or my father for that matter?!" She yelled.

Natsu halted to a quick stop and put a hand to his chin.  
"A father- Wow, now that you bring it up- I'd make a great father-oof!" He was cut off as Lucy shoved the entire pile of outfits (including the muffler and beanie) into his face in anger.

Lucy's fists were tightly balled up furiously.  
"Y-You said I looked good! What's wrong with my current outfit?! Don't I look nice-"

Natsu ran a hand through his hair in frustration.  
"That's the _problem_! You look _great! _Amazing, in fact! I can't have you out there in public, looking so positively amazing for the eyes of the perverted! I want to be the only one to see you like this, and if you go on a photo-thingy looking like that, and have you posted on a magazine, everyone will be all over you!" He retorted in outrage. 

Lucy was silent. She had nothing to say. She brought a hand up to her heart, touched. Did he really think that way? Was that really how he felt? Lucy had never given much thought about Natsu looking at her that way- In fact, she wasn't even sure he was capable of that type of emotion! It started out as a silly squabble about Lucy's choice of dress, into… whatever this was! Lucy was still smiling in the end.  
"Really Natsu?" She asked softly, her brow creased a little.

Natsu turned away after Lucy noticed his face tinged pink.  
"Y-Yeah. I don't know, people will be perverted. It's just… You wear revealing things all the time… but this is different. I just don't want the fan-people taking you away. Especially since you look so pretty and all…" He explained, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

Lucy looked down at the ground. Natsu was… adorable, per say. He was being more endearing than ever. Lucy knew she liked him, but- this took things to a level she never thought existed. Never in a lifetime did she think Natsu would utter the word 'pretty' or even to her, _for her_, for that matter. And that wasn't just it. She didn't know Natsu cared about her this much. Enough to not want her look nice in front of other people. Other men in particular. Lucy smiled. Maybe it was a possessive thing.

Usually, Lucy didn't like possessive guys. In past experiences, it led from one disaster to the other. Plus, the clingy ones always got annoying. But it was different somehow, now, with Natsu. She had liked him for a while, but never thought he would think of her in any 'more than just platonic' way. It was shocking to the core. And she was warmed by the gesture and words, nevertheless.

He just made everything sound so sweet, so natural. And he made it seem in a way like he was protecting her- but, then again, he probably was. He just didn't want her attention elsewhere- he didn't want any eyes on her nor did he want her eyes directed at something that might steal away at their relationship.

Lucy smiled and sighed, reached out and holding his arm tightly.  
"I'm sorry I didn't think that way before. It's just a shock to me that you care that much." She murmured.

There was utter silence. Lucy turned her gaze up slowly at Natsu's downturned eyes, and the blush on his cheeks. She smiled to herself, noting how adorable he looked when he was flustered.

"Well you shouldn't be shocked. You shouldn't be at all. You should know that I care about you a lot already." He mumbled in return.

Lucy sighed to herself in happiness. He really did make her feel like the happiest girl on Earth.  
She glanced up and stood on her tip-toes, planting a quick peck on Natsu's cheek lovingly.  
"Thank you. For caring so much." She whispered, truly glad and grinning.

Natsu stared at her in shock, not knowing what to say. He finally opened his mouth after long, seemingly eternal seconds.  
"No problem." He replied, grinning toothily.

Lucy glanced at her clock shocked by the time.  
"Would you look at the time?! I gotta go!" Lucy cried, scrambling around for her shoes and purse.

Natsu stared after her, jumping as something hit him.  
"W-Wait!" He yelped.

Lucy glanced at him, jittery.  
"What!? I have to go or I'll be-"

"Late. I know." Natsu nodded. "It's just, since you won't change out of that dress, you should wear this-"

He held out a strip of fabric, a pink one precisely. Lucy frowned as she recognized it.  
"My ribbon? Natsu, I barely wear those anymore." She said truthfully, as she had taken to her pigtail style after Tenrou.

"I know, not much of anything, but you'd be more like yourself- More like Luce. And you'd look more innocent or cute or something, so maybe the perverts-"

Lucy laughed.  
"Okay. I got it. Thank you." She giggled, taking the pink ribbon from his hands. "See you later! Wish me luck!" She called, dancing out the door cheerily.

"Good luck Lucy!"

"Bye!"

"Bye-Bye!" She said, waving as she closed the door behind her.

Natsu stared after her and watched her sprint out across the road, wondering how she did it in those crazy tall shoes. Happy smirked to himself and Natsu.  
"You gave her the ribbon? Why?" Happy quizzed mischievously.

"I don't know." Natsu shrugged. "I guess her ribbon reminds me of all our first adventures together, so it makes me feel like I'm kinda taking care of her, you know? Plus, pink is one of her favorite colors."

Happy snickered malevolently, shaking.  
"You _loooooove_ her!" Happy squealed, rolling his tongue and proceeding to make kissing noises.

Natsu rolled his eyes at Happy's behavior and exhaled.

He did prefer her with a ribbon, although. It was special. It was a Lucy thing.

* * *

**Wow... Lemme just say... That was exhausting! I spent two whole hours writing this thing! Ugh! But you know what, it is my writing responsibility to write this fic before twelve o'clock tomorrow morning, so that's on me! I hoped you liked! I wanted this one to be more humorous, so ta-dah!  
I loved the idea, and I had a vision of Natsu's face after Lucy kissed him on the cheek looking the way he did at the end of the episode Day of Fated Meeting, from when he was on the train.**

It was so cute! Anyway, I hoped you liked! Thank you for reading, and I will be waking up **_very _****early tomorrow so can get the next one done! And please don't forget to review! Thank you for all your support! *runs off to take a nap and possibly eat a snack***


	4. Promise

**Hey guys! Happy 4th of July to you other Americans out there! I'm all decked out red, white and blue, hehe! This was an interesting thing to write, and sort of tiring. It started from a drabble, to monster drabble. Hope you enjoy, and I'm loving the feedback! Thank you!**

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Oaths. Promises. Guarantees. They weren't something she entirely believed in. In her past, they were nearly always broken, so Lucy took to shying away from them. Her father was never quite talented at keeping personal oaths, he was better at the financial kind. Lucy never thought much about her mother keeping promises, having very little and very blurry memories of her. She had passed when Lucy was so young, but it was still hard. As the blonde thought a little more, she realized her _did _make promises. Simple ones like a promise to meet at precisely 6 o'clock _sharp_ for teatime, or read a specific bedtime story before sleep. Like an oath to style her hair differently, wear matching outfits or play dress-up.

After her mother left her home, Lucy never gave much thought about making more promises. She knew they had a special meaning to her in the past so- maybe that's why it hurt so much when they were broken.

She had made the awful idea to make a promise with Natsu. The promise that he wouldn't destroy anything on their latest mission. This promise was broken exactly before he promised he wouldn't do it again. And then that one was broken. And the next one. It was getting exhausting. Lucy laid her head down on her arms, sighing as the thought of sleep sounded more and more pleasing. She eyed Mirajane, who stood in front of her, humming a tune and wiping down a few glasses. Lucy couldn't help but wonder how Mira managed to be so cheerful and upbeat and _alive _all the time. Maybe it was just in her nature.

Mira spun around staring at Lucy as her humming faltered off. She beamed a beautiful smile.  
"Are you alright today Lucy? You seem a little blue." She piped up, cheerful and kind at the same time.

Lucy sighed. She really did feel dreary, so it was no surprised she looked so too.  
"I'm okay. It's just… Natsu and I made a pact he wouldn't destroy anything on our missions anymore, so we could get the full amount of jewels we were going to get paid. Instead of having to use it to clean up the things we destroyed. And he's broken promise after promise after promise…" Lucy lagged her voice down.

Mira stuck out a pouting lip as she brainstormed for reply, a hand to her chin. She smiled, coming to realization.  
"Oh sweetie, don't get too down! I know it must be frustrating to have broken promises and pacts, but- it's all in Natsu's nature. Telling him to destroy the enemy without destroying buildings close by is like telling a fish not to swim. The nature of his flames is to burn, so that's exactly what they'll do." Mira reassured, patting Lucy on the shoulder.

Lucy smiled. She guessed it really was in Natsu's nature to have destruction in surrounding radius. Mira beamed.  
"But that doesn't mean you two can't keep other promises! Speaking of which- Natsu! Come here!" Mira called out to the mage at the request board, looking for a mission to make up for Lucy's broken promises.

Natsu frowned.  
"What? Oh, okay…" He said, blinking as Mira waved frantically at him, her stomach against the top of the counter as she beckoned for him to come over.

As soon as he sat down, Mira sighed and then laughed. Lucy smiled at Mira's antics. What on Earthland was she up to? Mira stood behind the counter, straightening her dress . She beamed.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, suspicious of Mira's uncanny behavior.

Mira reached out for a cabinet and pulled out a few things, dropping them onto the counter with a grin. Natsu and Lucy eyed the objects suspiciously.

"What's that all for?" Natsu questioned, glancing up from Mira to the objects, then back to Mirajane.

The model folded her arms.  
"You two are going to take a blood oath!"

The two mages blinked at her.

They blinked again.

"WHAT?!" They exclaimed loudly.

The white-haired bartender giggled.  
"That's right. You'll prick your fingers with this-"Mira lifted up a needle. "You only need a drop. Then, you'll hold her fingers over the fire-"Mira gestured to the candle. "And then you'll make up a secret handshake!" She concluded, lifting up a whiteboard.

They stared at Mira's apparent glee. She sighed, rolling her eyes.  
"Fine- You don't have to make up a secret handshake! But you'll still do the blood oath! This is for you two to help keep promises!"Mira explained.

Lucy and Natsu gave each other humorous glances before turning back to Mira with a casual shrug.  
"Okay. Fine." They said, matching one another's words.

Mira squeaked.  
"Yay! Okay- needle for you, needle for you- I'm keeping things hygienically safe here!" Mira proclaimed, wagging a finger at them.

The two subject mages picked up their own respective needles and proceeded to poke their index fingers. Lucy glanced over at Natsu, who was taking this quite well. In fact, he looked even _excited _they were doing something so strange.

Lucy averted her eyes to her index finger and quickly poked the needle into the skin of her finger. She watched as a drop of blood formed on the small puncture, following the quick sting. She stared her finger before looking to Mirajane for instruction. Mira looked to both of them, who both had a decent amount of red on her fingers. She nodded.

"Okay, press those fingers to together over my lit candle!" Mira ordered.

The two mages smiled in embarrassment as they pressed their fingers together. Lucy noted the awkwardness and discomfort in the whole thing, pressing a finger tainted with blood against Natsu's. Strange.

Mirajane nodded.

"Say, Mira- how do you happen to know these oath things?" Natsu asked, glancing at the take-over mage inquisitively.

Mira closed in on herself shyly, her shoulders tight and a small smile on her face.  
"Oh, from my youthful days…" She trailed off, sounding like an old woman.

Natsu and Lucy exchanged glances and laughed.  
"We'll take your word for it." Lucy said with a laugh.

"Ya' know, since you're so _old_ and all…" Natsu added.

Mira shook her head, striking a match and lighting a candle, though it was still bright midday outside, and the light was spread throughout the guild-hall.  
"Okay, put your hands over the fire- don't eat it Natsu!" Mira scolded, smacking the top of Natsu's guilty head.

Lucy laughed. As abnormal as this entire scene was, the happiness had managed to spread from Mira's bright self to Lucy, like a positive, infectious disease. Note the word _positive_.

Mira folded her hands together, intertwining her fingers.  
"Now, you may make your oath. This oath is for you two make a promise that you _will not break a promise._" Mira swiftly glanced between them.

Lucy wanted to laugh at how amazingly ridiculous this was, making a promise not to break a promise. It was sweet, heartfelt, and it made absolutely no sense. But it made her happy.

Lucy started first.  
"Okay then. I promise to never break a promise. No matter what. Ever." Lucy added, stringing one word after the other.

Natsu nodded vigorously.  
"Yeah, okay. I won't break a promise. Ever. I can promise you that." He said truthfully.

Lucy raised a brow.  
"I want to add something; you can't ever break a promise unless it revolves around you destroying something. I know from experience that's a promise you can't keep."

Natsu pouted.  
"Aw, fine, I guess you're right. But I'll keep trying!" He said, invoking a beam form Lucy.

Mira continued looking solemn.  
"You both have taken the passage of the blood rites. These rites are sacred, and so is the oath you have promised upon. If one of you is to break a promise, then the sinner shall… er… the sinner will…" Mira frowned, trying to come up with a punishment.

Natsu and Lucy opened their mouths to offer suggestions.  
"Have to do the others and my bidding for a month!" Mira exclaimed, karate-chopping the air.

"Your bidding? That's a little random…" Natsu noted. Mira glared in an out-of character fashion.

"What?! Eh, not good enough for you, Mr. High and Mighty?! Then Erza and I shall institute third-degree punishment on the whole who breaks the promise! That sound good…?" Mira snarled at a pale and gulping Natsu.

"Umm… Let's go on a mission Luce!" He yelped, his voice cracking as he dragged Lucy out by her wrist, and she didn't protest, instead, she laughed.

Over the next month, the two would make simple promises to one another, like paying for the other's meal, or getting to choose a mission. Natsu made frequent requests to a promised spot on Lucy's bed, which the blonde seldom approved; Natsu slept in her bed with or without promises. Even Happy took part in it, making Lucy or Natsu promise to buy a fish, or go fishing or play with him more often, which the two happily went along with.

They hadn't broken a promise, and the bond seemed to only strengthen between them, all three of them.

Natsu couldn't fall asleep one night, tossing and turning violently. Natsu felt so alone, as Wendy had invited all the Exceeds over for a big sleep-over party in her room at Fairy Hills. Wendy had cheerfully explained it was her very first sleepover, so she wanted to practice with the cats. They were also undoubtedly fun to hang around anyway. Happy was excited and had darted out and packed his things with his mind on one thing; spending time with Charle.

Natsu huffed, laying there before deciding to roll away and eat something. He stood up and switched on a lamp, rubbing his eyes grumpily before kicking endless amounts of junk out of his way. His day was quite lonely and boring, as Happy was out of the picture, and so was Lucy. She said something about her two month anniversary with her new (and first official) boyfriend. His teammates were gone pretty much the entire day, and he grew to realize how boring it was without them.

And the more he thought about Lucy and her stupid boyfriend, the more fuming he became, so he brushed the thought from his mind.

Natsu opened a cabinet roughly, searching through and grabbing a cup. He ran it under the faucet of the dish-filled sink and downed the glass of water in two-seconds. He hoped no one was busy tomorrow- he couldn't stand another day without them.

He put the glass of water in the sink and leaned against the counter gruffly in the dim light. Natsu stood there a few minutes, pondering over everything that had happened the past month. Natsu sighed, walking over to head back to bed.

He stepped over a recognized pile of dirty clothes and-

Knock. Natsu stood up straight, hearing a faint noise.

Knock. Natsu spun around, the noise of a tapping hand against wood filling his ears. Natsu was surprised- who could possibly be knocking on his door in the middle of the night? He walked over to the door, reaching for the handle slowly, before halting as he inhaled a familiar scent. Natsu quickly grabbed the door knob and yanked the front door open, knowing exactly who stood there.

He stared at the person before him. Lucy.

Natsu didn't know what to say, as she stood there, the low amount of light barely able to show her face clearly. He listened to her quick inhales and exhales and instantly grew suspicious.  
"Lucy, what are you doing here-"

Lucy stepped forward, moving a little closer. He could see her eyes now, which were pink and rimmed red. She was scared, and hurt. She was looking for help.  
"Natsu-"She breathed out, before falling forward in exhaustion.

Natsu motioned forward speedily, catching her body in his arms. She breathed against his shirt, grasping the fabric tightly in her fingers. Scooping her up as she hugged his neck, he wondered what happened. What was she doing here so late? Had she run all the way here? He grabbed her forearms and gently pushed her away.  
"What are you doing here?" He asked with a frown, staring at her odd appearance and behavior.

Lucy stared up at him, her eyelids fluttering, open and closed. She stared at him through her eyelashes.  
"I was out on a date and then he was walking me to his place-"She started.

Natsu stared at her in anger. _He_ had something to do with this? What?!  
"What?! What did he do to you?! I swear I'll-"

"Stop! Hear me out! Okay… then he walked me to his house cause he wanted to show me his latest art pieces. Remember? I told you? He's a painter, ya' know an artist." Lucy continued.

Natsu's expression darkened.

Natsu snarled.  
"Artist my ass!" He nearly shouted, picking Lucy up and plopping her onto his bed.

Lucy ignored him and went on.  
"So I went to his place and he showed me his latest painting and whatever. "Lucy bit her lip and held back a sob.  
Natsu frowned and took in Lucy's appearance. Her hair was messy, the buttons on her top were in disarray, her skirt was shifted so it was almost backwards- and Natsu was on the brink of understanding.

"Everything was fine until he sat down next me on his couch and got real cozy and… and he wanted to take things to a different level, and whatever-" Lucy explained, the sobs starting again as she covered her mouth and pursed her lip, looking in different directions.

Lucy took another deep breath.  
"I said I wasn't ready for that sort of thing but he wasn't… he didn't listen to me- When I protested again, he um, he-"Lucy turned her cheek away from Natsu. "You know, he slapped me, across the face hard." Lucy started to cry again, tears streamlining down her face.

Natsu's heart stopped when he saw a reddish, violet mark on Lucy's left cheek, her tears streaming over the mark.

"I said we were done and finished and I ran away. I said I never wanted to see him again, and I made sure I didn't cry in front of him. So I ran away here, cause I didn't know what else to do and-"

Natsu wasn't listening. He stood there, staring at the floor in anger, shaking and his fists were clenched. He was beyond, mad, beyond furious. This made his blood boil to an extent; an extent he hadn't known existed. It was the strange need to bolt over to where it had all happened and beat up the guy so much he was on death's door. It was anger he couldn't fight.  
"God damnit!" He yelled over Lucy's tears. He bent over, pulling the blanket over her and tucking her in.

"I swear to God, I'm gonna kill him-" Natsu growled, angry adrenaline pumping through his veins.

He couldn't take it anymore. Lucy was hurt, disheveled, in tears. She was crying. Natsu turned away, towards the door-

"Don't!" Lucy screamed, reaching out and grabbing the hem of Natsu's t-shirt.

"Don't do it!" She cried, tightening her grip on Natsu's shirt.

Natsu tensed.  
"Do you know what he did to you Lucy?! Huh?! He hit you! He wanted to hurt you more than he already did!" Natsu replied in anger.

His fury dissipated as Lucy stared fiercely back at him, tears flowing from her red eyes, her voice trembling.  
"Don't go after him! It's not worth it, and I don't want you in trouble! Promise me, Natsu, or I'm not letting go of you!" Lucy screamed.

"_Promise _me! Here and now! Right _now! _I need you right now! Say it!_" _She cried out.

Natsu stopped. A promise.

And quite suddenly, it wasn't about beating up some guy he hated. It wasn't about Mira or Erza's daunting punishment. It wasn't about his anger, or even about the bruise on Lucy's cheek.  
It was about the oath they took. It was about Lucy.

He didn't want her to cry. He didn't want her to be upset. His hatred for the person, the insolent creature that had hurt her, didn't matter anymore. Lucy was calling the shots. It was her life, and she didn't want Natsu to get involved. He stared at Lucy again, at her appearance.

"_Please!"_ Lucy cried. "Promise me you won't leave!"

Natsu peeled her hand from his shirt and squeezed it.  
"I-I promise." He said reluctantly, and it was over.

Natsu couldn't do anything. Their promise was made. Natsu had gone against his very nature. Lucy wiped her face with her free hand.  
"Thank you." She whispered, her eyes closing as she fell asleep.

Natsu slowly crawled into bed with her, keeping her company. He slowly sheltered her with his arms as she cried herself to sleep. His hold on her tightened considerably. She hugged him around his waist and she sobbed into his shirt. Natsu kept himself up through the night, keeping Lucy warm. He wouldn't go to sleep before she did, and he wouldn't leave either.

He promised. And there was no way he could break a promise

* * *

**Soooo... That was so sad! I don't know why I keep writing these Hurt/Comfort things! I'm weird! Ugh... Sorry for any typo's! I'm in a hurry to get to the beach at the moment, haha!I hope you liked my crazy monster oneshot! I love you and don't forget to review! Happy 4th of July!**


	5. Dare

**Hey there! (excuse the random line above us) Can you believe NaLu week is ending!? Crazy right? It's been a lot of fun, and writing every day for a week is ****_extremely _****healthy, since I'm mostly a coach potato all summer long! Your support has helped me super, ****_super_**** much, and I love you for it! You guys are so sweet! I love how this week has banded the NaLu community together! Oh, stop reading this- you can read the chapter now! ;)**

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"Puuuuun!"

"I know Plue, I know! I'm getting out now!" A blonde young woman said with a giggle.

There was a splash and the soft pitter patter as tiny droplets from Lucy's hair hit the ground simultaneously. Lucy began to hum a short tune as she left the steamy, tension-releasing bath, pulling open the drain. Scooping up her Canis Minor celestial friend from out of the bathtub, Lucy reached for a plush white towel and wrapped it around her body, with a short and faltering hum. Plue followed her across the bathroom after exiting the bathtub.

Lucy sighed with relaxation, staring at the her Celestial spirit with a talkative expression.  
"Oh Plue, can you _believe _Loke asked that? Just because you bathe with me doesn't mean he can!" Lucy huffed, folding her arms with a pout. She beamed and leaned over to pick up Plue.

"Ah, I'm so glad you're not a pervert! You're so_ cute_!" Lucy cried, kissing Plue atop his white head.

"_Puuuuuun!" _ He replied although Lucy had no idea what he was saying.

"What do you want to do today? I say we go to the library, and then possibly visit Levy-"Lucy suggested, patting her hair dry with an extra towel.

Lucy reached for the door and pondered in thought for a bit.  
"Do you think she has any old books she finished? I'd like a new one and sometimes Levy has these nice ones I-"

Lucy pushed open her bathroom door, jumping slightly.  
"KYAAAA!"

In this moment, Plue decided to take his leave, for personal safety.

Natsu and Happy sat on her bed, eating some various junk snacks and candy.  
"Oh hey Luce, mind if I use your shower?" Natsu said nonchalantly between chews of food.

Lucy's eye twitched.

"What?! Of course I mind! What are two doing here-"Lucy stopped before putting a hand to her hip. "Do I even have to ask?"

Of course she didn't. Natsu and Happy's frequent break-ins to her home were so normal the two practically lived there.

Natsu and Happy exchanged glances followed by side-to-side turns of their heads, revealing an answer.  
"Nope."

Happy sat up excitedly.  
"Well, aren't you excited?" Happy asked curiously.

Lucy frowned. Should she? Lucy thought about the date. It was Wednesday… Coming up with a blank, Lucy shook her head.  
"What should I be excited about?" She said lightly, wondering what they were talking about.

Natsu and Happy's mouths dropped open, their eyes widening.  
"You don't know what today is?" Happy squeaked.

"Nobody told you?" Natsu asked melodramatically, stretching out his words and staring at Lucy with eyes as wide as saucers.

Lucy raised her hands up, confused.  
"I have no idea what you guys are talking about…" She mumbled.

Natsu and Happy glanced to one another in excitement.  
"It's Fairy Tail game night! It's gonna be fun!" Natsu blurted out, followed by Happy's jumps and squeals.

Happy chose to continue on the subject  
"Oh Oh Oh, we're gonna play games like Charades, Twister, Hide n' go Seek, board games, Truth or Dare-"

Lucy froze, her eyes widening with fear.  
"Wait, what?" She questioned, a wild look in her eyes.

Happy cleared his throat.  
"Like I said, Charades, Twister, Hide n' go Seek-"

"No!" Lucy screeched. "The last one! You said Truth or Dare!"

Happy glanced over the room and blinked at Lucy peculiarly. Natsu took part in as well.  
"And….?"

Lucy stood there, twitching, her index finger pointed at Happy. She blinked twice, and stared at Natsu and Happy, glancing between them.  
"I'm not going." She said blankly, much to Natsu and Happy's dismay.

"What?! Why?!" They yelled.

Lucy quickly walked over to her bed.  
"Because-"She started, grabbing the hem of the blankets on her bed. "I hate Truth or Dare."

Lucy hopped onto her bed, still wrapped tightly in a towel before hiding under the covers on her bed. She sat there, her legs curled up against her chest and completely hidden with the blankets. Lucy didn't move when she heard her mattress squeak with the new and unwelcome weight of Natsu.

"Aw come on! It'll be fun! You don't have to play Truth or Dare-"Natsu sang.

Lucy tightened under the covers.  
"Y-You don't understand! Whether or not I want to, _I'm playing Truth or Dare!_"

She heard Natsu groan and she listened to the soft flutter of Happy's wings as he landed on her bed.  
"Luuuuucyyyyyyy!" Happy whined. "You have to go! We don't want to go without you!"  
Lucy sat and listened as happy began to shed fake tears and wail fake sobs.

Lucy scowled. Nice try, Happy. The pity-call wouldn't work. Especially on her. Especially from Happy.  
"Still not going!" She shouted back.

"You have to go! And why do you hate Truth or Dare so much anyway? We're not leaving without an answer!" Natsu yelled back.

Lucy didn't reply. Maybe if she ignored their constant nagging they would leave. Lucy chose to ignore them. Silence set in and Happy stopped sobbing all too suddenly. Ha. She knew it. Fake. She felt the weight of Natsu's body relieve her mattress of excessive weight. Happy began to take flight, the whooshing of his wings filling the air as he hovered. Ah, maybe her plan had worked-

"Not leaving without an answer!" Natsu yelled again, grabbing the blanket and yanking it off of her.

The light hit her eyes suddenly and she was met with the sight of Natsu pulling the blankets and sheets off of her with Happy in tow.

Lucy shrieked, reaching out and grabbing the blanket, her body unprotected by the fuzzy throws.  
"Too bad! You'll never get an answer!" She protested, tugging at the blanket after Natsu did so.

Lucy gritted her teeth. She should have known. Natsu never gave up without a fight, even if it was something as silly as this. And now Lucy would return the favor. Lucy clenched the blanket as if it were her lifeline.

_Lucy, if you let go of this, your lifeline, you _die. _Don't die!_ The blonde screamed to herself. She had always made her mind think this way in situations like these when she was a small child. They nearly always worked. Natsu and Happy pulled fiercely.

"Why?!" Happy cried out.

"Yeah, why? Why do you hate Truth or Dare so much? We'll be here forever unless you tell us!" Natsu chimed in.

Lucy bit her lip. It would uncomfortable to tell them, and embarrassing. She herself knew she was being ridiculous, but she had to protect herself! Truth or Dare was an evil game, and she had experienced its wrath! Lucy frowned. Maybe she could tell them. It wasn't like they were going to laugh at her. They weren't that cruel. Maybe she could- Lucy sniffed the air, inhaling a pungent smell. She stiffened, looking down at her blanket. Her eyes widened when she realized it was burning up, and with flames set upon it. She let it go instantly.  
"NATSU! YOU BURNED MY BLANKET!" She screamed. Natsu's eyes widened at her.

"Oh, sorry! Hey lemme- WAIT!"

It was too late. Lucy jumped up on her bed and reached for her flower watering can.  
"Kyaaa!" She cried out, flinging her arms out and splashing a large amount of water on Natsu's face.

Happy gaped. Lucy stood there in shock. Natsu opened his eyes to glare at her, his head and neck soaked with water.  
"Sorry?" She squeaked out, stifling a laugh.

Natsu growled and shook his head vigorously, sprinkling water droplets all over the surrounding radius. Lucy smiled, using her arm as a shield. Happy shrieked as Natsu shook her hair out like a wet dog.

"Water! Cats don't like water!" Happy cried, jumping away with his hair on end.

Lucy giggled at Happy's reaction, though the cat had been near water dozens of times, wet many more times, and even went to a water park and beach.  
Lucy was sure Happy's relationship with water was anything but hate.

Natsu turned to Lucy menacingly.  
"Well _I _don't like getting splashed with water- Lucy, give me your towel!" He demanded a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Lucy shrieked, covering her body.  
"Ah! No! Get your own!" Lucy dodged Natsu's extending hand. She smacked him.

"Go away! Eeeep! No!" Lucy cried as Natsu jumped up towards her, grabbing her and growl escaping him as he pinned her to her bed quickly.

"This is payback!" He growled down in response to Lucy's squeal, reaching out to tickle her. Lucy snorted as she squirmed and kicked, laughter setting in as Natsu performed a very effective torture method.

The celestial mage's eyes widened and she burst out in laughter and Natsu attacked her waist.  
"Ha-ha, okay, I'm sorry! Let me go! Haha aha haha-"

"Do you promise to tell Happy and I why you don't want to go to game night?" He demanding, tickling her further. Lucy's eyes began to water with tears of laughter.

"I, ha-ha! Eeep, ah, okay, okay I'll- I'll tell you!" Lucy cried.

Natsu smirked and leaned back on his knees in satisfaction.

Lucy sat up, wiping her eyes dry.  
"Okay! I promised I'd tell you-"Lucy started.

Natsu nodded eagerly an evil grin plastered on his face.  
"If you don't, we can always resort to tickling- Happy! Come here! Lucy's spilling the beans!" He cried out to Happy.

"Oooh! Beans!" Happy squealed out randomly. Lucy gave him a frowning stare as he settled beside Natsu.

Lucy took a deep breath, trying to pull herself back together after the tickle attack. Her face was red and she couldn't stop laughing.  
"Okay, this is kind of embarrassing, but-" Lucy began.

Natsu and Happy's eyes widened, waiting for her to continue. Lucy took a deep breath before putting a hand to her face, blushing madly.  
"Well, I don't like Truth or Dare because…because…"

"Well?" Happy and Natsu demanded.

Lucy's face dropped into a blank expression.  
"Well, every time I play, I do something embarrassing." She said dryly.

Happy frowned.  
"Like what?"

Lucy put a hand to her chin.  
"Well, one time, Cana dared me to do something, and I woke up topless on a broken table using Erza's stomach as a pillow."

Natsu blinked.  
"That's weird." He said. His face brightened with fascination. "Wait, did you say topless?"

Lucy scowled at him.  
"Don't remind me." She spat.

Happy beamed.  
"And Natsu that's not all! Remember when Lucy was drunk and you had to-" Happy broke out in snickers. Natsu looked away.

"I don't want to talk about it..." Natsu mumbled under Lucy's glare

Lucy threw her hands up in frustration.  
"See?! Every time I take a dare form someone, I wake up in someplace all hung-over and no one will tell me what I did!"

Happy snickered.  
"Oh, I'll tell you. One time, you were drunk and you jumped off a dock at the lake house. Natsu had to go rescue you!" He cried.

Lucy glanced at Natsu frantically. He scratched his head.  
"Don't tell me I actually...?"

Natsu averted his eyes.  
"Eh... yeah." Natsu raised his hands in distress after Lucy sent him a glare to rival angry Erza. "Hey, its not my fault you can't hold your alcohol!" He protested.

Lucy scoffed.  
"Oh, and I'm sure you can! Happy, what else did I do?"

Happy laughed again.  
"Oh yeah, another time you were drunk, you started being all weird and Natsu had to carry you to the bathroom. Also, one night, you were being approached by some other drunk guys and started dancing, but then Natsu beat them up and kidnapped you, and you slept over at our house."

Lucy snapped her fingers and gasped with a beam on her face.  
"So _that's _why I woke up your bed!"

"And another time, you started stripping like Gray and then you fainted and Natsu carried you home.  
Then the other month, you were wandering around and puking everywhere and Natsu took you to the bathroom. And then another day-"

"Whoa, wait! Does Natsu always have to come in and rescue me?!" Lucy asked, looking to Natsu who seemed to be admiring the wall, apart from Happy and Lucy's conversation.

Happy shrugged.  
"Well, yeah. Natsu doesn't like alcohol too much, you know seeing what it does to you-" Lucy glared. "So he's always there to stop you from doing stupid stuff."

Lucy blushed, not only at her own alcoholic tendencies but at Natsu's role when she was being an idiot and drinking. She had no idea he went to such measures that she got home all right. It was so... sweet. Even though she couldn't remember at all and was probably being a rude and weird drunk.  
Funny, the things Cana did to you if you hung around her for too long.

Lucy looked to Natsu, who was still facing the wall and seemed to be grumpy.

Lucy clutched her hands together.  
"Natsu... Do you really do all this stuff for me?" She asked softly, a smile on her face.

Natsu spun around to face her, bright red and seemingly sweating.  
"Uh, er, yeah, its no biggie-"

"Oh! Thank you!" Lucy cried gratefully.

Natsu stood there flustered.  
'Er, uh, yeah, no problem- Look, let's go- Just don't play truth or dare and don't talk to Cana for too long, okay?"

Lucy smiled. Natsu looked so sweet when he was all flustered.  
"O-kay!" She said, smirking at his red face.

Lucy looked down. She was still wearing only a white towel. Instinctively, she raised her hands to cover herself and preserve some modesty. She winced, thanking the deity that had held her towel up through that entire time. How on Earthland had she not noticed!?  
"Just... let me change." She said awkwardly, stepping off of her bed, striding over towards her dresser. She turned to face her friends, who stared at her with beaming faces.

Natsu and Happy nodded up at her in agreement.  
"Okay." They chimed, making no gestures of moving as they stared up at her.

Lucy eyed the both of them quizzically. Her eyes darted back and forth across her room as her teammates remained seated patiently, unmoving and smiling up at her.  
"Whenever you're ready." The two said with casual synchronization.

Lucy stood there in front of her dresser, her eye twitching.

"GET OUT YOU PERVERTS, I'M GETTING DRESSED!" She shouted at them before swiftly kicking them out of her apartment and slamming the door the second they were out.

"Ow... Luce! That hurt!" Natsu wailed through the door.

Lucy snickered by her dresser, though she was still ultimately touched by what Natsu did when she was drunk.

Lucy smiled, picking out an outfit. Maybe she would drink a little too much tonight. Just a little, though she knew alcohol initially hated her existence.

But she wouldn't drink _too _much. Maybe she would play Truth or Dare, and possibly choose a dare, from Cana. From the crazy alcoholic.  
Then maybe she could find out _exactly_ what the dragon slayer did when she wasn't sober.

* * *

**Hee-hee, this made me laugh as I wrote it! I just felt I was writing too much angst, (for some strange reason, I'm obsessed with it) so I livened it up a bit with this little humor fic! Though the Fairy Tail girls' drunk sides have been revealed in the OVA, I still wonder how it would have been the other way around... LOL! Thanks so much for checking out this chapter! Also, did you guys see the new Fairy Tail episode this morning?! Gloria?! I'll say it once, maybe again- so badass! It makes me love Juvia even more! What did you guys think, I'd love to hear! :) Thank you for reading!**

**Don't forget to review! I hope you liked!**


	6. Effulgence

**Hi guys! Thank you so much for checking this series of one-shots out! I have just arrived home from a fourteen-day camping extravaganza! So sorry for the wait, but better late than never! Luckily, I wrote this prompt chapter for you all, and I want to thank everyone who has supported and read this NaLu week fic! It means the world to me! I love you all! Happy belated NaLu week!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. It's as simple as that.**

* * *

The sun was setting. Finally. A young blonde girl ran across a sidewalk, weaving throughout pedestrians, and mostly getting by unnoticed. Her small stature and petite size counted up for her incognito sneaks through crowds. She considered herself lucky. Suddenly, her lungs gave way, and she found herself slowing down to catch her breath, even though she was still walking as fast as her small, skinny legs could take her. She kept herself tight and tried to blend in, though it was difficult, with her bright pink dress tied to her with a bow, far nicer than what she had seen other children wandering around in.

She thought about her actions as she panted, still trying to get her heartbeat to normal rate and catch her breath. She remembered her choices earlier in the day, the minute the sun rose. The girl was guilty of them, and knew they were something she wouldn't go unpunished for. But she had to be guilty, and if she was to be punished, so be it. She needed to breathe fresh air again. She needed to be herself for once.

Lucy just needed to get out of that house.

The girl sidestepped away from another person, careful not to bump into anyone, or make eye contact.

She'd made it this far, and she was proud. It felt good to be out of that stuffy house, not have monotonous lessons with boring people, and most of all, be all by herself. Lucy was at first surprised by the contrast between the vast, out-lying world and her own, large and empty house. It was lonely in there, without her mother. It upset her to know that her father existed, that he was sitting in another room nearby, but he never looked at her. Never spoke. It was like she had no father in the first place. And as much as her maids and cooks and house-staff tried to make her happy as much as possible, they couldn't fill the gaping void of a mother and father. Those two people could never be replaced.

Lucy trudged on, the sky growing dimmer and dimmer, and her vision, growing blurrier. She was exhausted, having to wake up at nearly three o'clock in the morning and running as fast she possibly could through a couple towns and villages. She had barely had a bite to eat, and her stomach was not satisfied. She walked more slowly, trying to conserve energy, as she walked through a sprawling, public park, a field with hardly any trees. Forcing her eyes to stay open, Lucy blinked at the sight of what looked like various wagons. She blinked her watery eyes again, walking over slowly. Maybe they had… food? It was worth a try.

Lucy walked forward, hugging herself and tripping over her own set of limbs. It was hard to walk. She stepped through the clearing, reaching the little area under several trees with many covered wagons under them. She breathed harder, walking forward, when she caught side of an- animal? Lucy blinked, rubbing her eyes. No. It was definitely human. Lucy's vision was blurry, but the person looked very small, a little taller than her at the most. And when the person spoke, their voice sounded young, about the age of six or seven like she was. Their words were warped a bit, sounding like an echo ricocheting across a cavern. Lucy strained her ears to listen.  
"H-Hey? You okay?" The person said as Lucy tried to make out their words.

Suddenly, out of exhaustion, Lucy collapsed onto the ground, her knees in the dirt. She felt woozy, tired and dizzy, but it felt even more surreal when a warm pair of hands cupped her shoulders. Lucy didn't move when she felt her body being supported with another's. She squeezed her eyes shut as she pulled up at an angle, and guessed they were walking up stairs or a ramp. Lucy managed to say something to the stranger.  
"Thank you." She murmured.

And she was met back with a very kind and warm- "No problem."

After a few seconds, she felt her body being lowered to the ground, and opened her eyes. Now she could finally catch her breath. It was dim, so she could barely see the other person's face. By the outline and silhouette, she guessed this person was about her age. The other child backed away from her and sat down cross-legged. Lucy leaned her back up against the wall, facing the shadowy face of her rescuer. There was a long silence.

"So… what's your deal? Are you alright?" The voice asked.

Lucy confirmed this person was a male with his voice. She had no doubts, unless it was a female with a very boyish sounding voice. Lucy cringed inwardly. She'd make sure not to ask that.

"Er…" Lucy had very little experience with other people, hence she was shy.

"I, um, was traveling along and I got too tired. You saved me just in time. Thank you." Lucy said quietly, tilting her head to him.

"Uh…" The boy started. "By yourself?"

Lucy nodded, blushing slightly. She'd rarely spoken to another person her age.  
"Yes."

"Well, why? Why are you all alone?" He quizzed, obviously curious as to know what Lucy was doing all by herself.

Lucy opened her mouth eager to explain, but shut her jaw reluctantly. It would be nice to tell someone exactly what she was feeling. It would be nearly perfect for her to open her heart up and bleed out all her cooped up emotion. She had not done so since her mother had taken her leave. Lucy used to tell her mother almost everything. Lucy wanted that again. She wished she had someone to confide in, the way she did in those short, brisk years, though they seemed centuries long ago.  
But she couldn't. She didn't know this person, and she was just a small girl that ran away from her wretched home.

"Oh, you see, I can't tell you. I'm sorry." Lucy said shyly.

The person shifted a bit in their spot, the tiny lantern barely illuminating his face.  
"Okay then. I can't tell you very much either, Erz- I mean, this crazy lady warned me not to talk to anyone I didn't know."

Lucy grew inquisitive, as any small child would.  
"Well, what are _you _doing out here all alone?" She asked.

The boy shuffled a bit.  
"Well, me and Gra- I mean, ice stripper-" Lucy raised a brow-" and I were fighting again, and Erz- I mean sword lady got mad because I made her drop her cake. She likes cake. A lot." The boy nodded to emphasize how much cake was liked.

Lucy smiled. This boy was strange. Though she did not have any other boys (or young children in general) to compare him with. He was quite interesting nonetheless.

"So… These people. Are they your siblings?" Lucy asked, deeply curious of this boy's alibi.

Lucy frowned as the silhouette flinched suddenly and began to snicker, stuttering over his words.  
"Wha?! Si-Siblings!? Pfff- Bahaha! Those two weirdoes? Not in a million years!" The boy burst out in gasps of uncontained laughter. He was doubling over, snorting and pounding the ground with his enclosed fist.

Lucy instantly felt uncomfortable. She felt she was being made a laughingstock. Lucy read and read all the books in her library, and she hated being wrong. In fact, she often heard the house-staff dubbing her as 'little-miss-smarty-pants.' Lucy knew she was smart. Those bland lessons with her personal tutor had paid off after all. Lucy didn't like being wrong. She felt like she was being seen as 'incorrect' when someone laughed at her nowadays. It had been a long while since someone had laughed at what she said, in a humorous matter, in a loving manner. The last time someone had laughed, it was when she and her mother played house together, one Saturday morning. It was the last time she had laughed too.

Lucy clenched her tiny fists.  
"What are you laughing at?" She growled at the chuckling child before her. Lucy was never one to lose her temper. But something about this boy made her lose her cool.

The child stopped making noise, and he shifted his head up, towards Lucy's face. He quickly straightened out his body, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Lucy instinctively leaned back a bit as the boy filled the gap between them. Lucy enclosed on her own shyness.  
"Er.."

Lucy gasped as the boy pulled back, snickering.  
"Nah. Those two are just a part of my guild. But, I guess in a way, they're like family. I mean, Fairy Tail is like family any way. Our guild master is just like a big gramps in a way too." He explained, scratching the back of his neck.

Lucy frowned. A guild? Guild master? Lucy was deeply confused. Of course, she had known what a guild was, and what its master's purpose was. But that was out of a book. That was factual text. Who knew if the writer even had visual experience. Lucy grew inquisitive, her mind craving newfound knowledge. She leaned forward, tucking a blonde strand behind her ear tentatively.  
"You are part of a guild? What's that like?" She quizzed, clearly interested.

The boy felt more than obliged to answer.

The second he spoke the first sentence, Lucy was enthralled. The life of a mage sounded pretty amazing, and it put all of her storybooks to shame, not to mention the factual textbook explaining mage life and guild life. Those books were bland. This boy's life was full of the vibrancy and life she had longed for every day since the moment her father shut the door in her face. He spoke of danger, excitement, adrenaline. He explained words of color, and fun, and laughter. The boy explained all of his adventures happily, adding sound-effects and exaggerated movement. And Lucy listened loyally. It wasn't just the fun and journeys and excitements that made Lucy's heart race. It was the pureness of family, togetherness, happiness. Of love.

It was the one thing Lucy wanted so badly, it made her heart wrench and break in her chest.

And it was right in front of her.

Lucy grinned as the boy went on about another mission.  
"-And then a whooshed in and kicked popsicle-face's butt! The end!" He concluded loudly.

Lucy clapped, and smiled again, cheering- when something happened. She opened her mouth and a noise erupted from it. It sounded like sharp intakes of breath, like bells, like a throaty noise that came out when she was truly- happy. Lucy gasped, yanking both of her palms to her mouth, hardly able to believe. She'd made a sound, a sound so alien to her she'd forgotten she could even accomplish it.

The boy stopped, frowning at her strange antics.  
"Somethin' wrong?" He asked precariously, raising a brow.

Lucy cupped her hands over her mouth, panting quickly. Her eyes darted up at him from her straight gaze upon the wooden floor.  
"That noise…" Lucy's eyes widened. "I-I just… How.. W-What…"

"You laughed." The boy said slowly, yet still not weirded out by her strange behavior.  
"You laughed because I said something that made you happy. Everyone laughs."

Lucy trembled on her spot on the wagon's floor, paralyzed. She had laughed, hadn't she? Lucy had forgotten she could even laugh in the first place. Lucy slowly removed her hands from her mouth and intertwined her fingers together, laying her hands upon her lap. The figure of the child before her leaned back, exhaling, and Lucy abruptly felt as though she was being looked over, as if someone was making guesses about her.

"I take you don't laugh often, huh?" He asked quietly. Lucy quickly brought her bowed head up, her hair bouncing up as she did so. Her eyes widened and she bit her lip, wanting to say everything but at the same time not.

The wooden floor creaked as the boy shifted his weight.  
"Look, I don't know what your deal is, but I'm not gonna ask either. But if you ever feel sad, want a place with friends, want a home- Fairy Tail's your place."

Lucy's eyes widened even more so. She forgot to breathe, and she was caught up in the boy's offer. Lucy smiled, though she wasn't sure he could even notice it.  
"Thank you." She murmured.

The boy nodded, before a sudden silence filled the air. Lucy jumped when she heard the sound of cheering, applause and music as it echoed throughout the small tree grove they were stationed at. The boy jumped up, causing the floorboards to groan under his weight.  
"The parade! It's starting!" He said excitedly.

Lucy tilted her head to the side, arching a brow. The boy groaned.  
"C'mon! Don't you know what a parade is?" He snorted, flailing his arms everywhere.

Lucy flinched backwards, insulted.  
"W-What?! Of course I know what a parade is!" She spat in defense, before reclining inwards on her small frame.

Lucy had seen one, a long time ago, when her mother was still alive and her father cared. She could hardly remember. The boy smiled.  
"Okay good. Well, our guild does this parade, festival kind of thing every year. Kinda sucks we won't see it very well though- it's really far away, and Erza's punishing me. It's really dumb cause I helped make the fireworks in the first place. "He explained.

Lucy sighed, unable to shove away the hint of disappointment in her heart.

"But don't worry!" Lucy flinched, shocked that he had known almost exactly how she was feeling.

"We'll be able to see the fireworks display from here, at least!" The child exclaimed. Lucy gasped.

Fireworks. She'd heard of them, but had never seen the pyrotechnics first-hand with her own eyes. Her father had made them illegal anywhere close to the estate, so Lucy had never really seen them. Lucy clasped her small hands together. But now she could finally see them. With her own eyes. And not from her own imagination, from some entry in a dictionary. Lucy couldn't hold in her excitement. She turned to the person in front of her.  
"They'll be in the sky? Glowing?" She asked, the happiness bubbling over.

The boy stared. She really hadn't seen fireworks before, had she? He bit back the urge to feel bad for her. She seemed like she was always sad, whereas he was nearly always happy. He shoved the pity into the back of his brain, knowing he wouldn't like to pitied, probably as much as she would. Fighting the instinctive pull to find out what made her sad, he nodded his head, not wanting to let her down a bit. He grinned.  
"It'll be the best fireworks you've ever seen!" He replied with relish.

Lucy giggled, and she felt a strange emotion, a feeling that stirred in her stomach, making her delirious. _  
__  
Is this what butterflies feel like?_ She quizzed.

_Is this what true happiness feels like?_

Lucy glanced up towards a laughing sound coming from the person who had saved her.  
"Let's go! We can sit on the edge over here-"He said quickly, grasping her hand and pulling her along with him.

Lucy forgot to inhale again as the boy dragged her along to the doorway of the wagon, sitting both of them down so their feet could dangle off the edge. Lucy sat there a moment, beaming up at the stars above her head, swinging her feet back and forth peppily. This day was going far better than she could have ever imagined. And fireworks. She could watch it shoot up into the dark indigo blue sky before supposedly exploding into millions of shimmering sparkles. She beamed to herself, though she couldn't help but feel almost nervous. What if it wasn't how she imagined it? What if…

"Hey." A voice called out. Lucy turned her head quickly towards the person next to her. She noticed a greater detail in his silhouette, and could piece out spiky hair and how he was a good couple inches taller than her. She blinked at him, wondering if he could see a clearer outline of her too.

"I thought you might be hungry, so-"He held an object in his hand towards her, implying for her to take it.

Lucy's eyes widened and she put a hand to her stomach sensitively. She was hungry, but she had long forgotten about that. She was too caught up her savior's tales of mischief and adventure. He had taken her mind away from the ice-cold reality she had been plunged into since birth. She frowned at him with a tentative smile.  
"I-I don't know- how..." She shook her head. "I-I can't take that from you. Besides, I'm not hungry any more-" She murmured under her breath, slowly placing her hand over the food he held in his hand.

She turned her eyes up at face, though her head was still held low. He blinked at her and laughed lowly.  
"Pfff- don't be so proud. Take it. Gift from me to you. Was gonna be a snack but…. Eh, bread isn't even my favorite food. Here-"The boy reached out for her right hand and held her by the wrist, shoving the dinner roll into her palm briskly and closing her fingers around the food carefully.

Lucy stared, open-mouthed at him, gaping at his simple gestures. Her words stumbled over her mouth.  
"I-I don't know what t-to say-"

"Lemme guess- You've never gotten a gift from anyone?" He asked kindly.

Lucy smiled humorlessly and shook her head.  
"No. Not for years." She said softly.

The boy stared as she glanced at her lap with melancholy. She looked like she was… hopeless. The young mage straightened his back out and tightened his grip on her hand. She glanced up at him, gasping, not in pain, but surprise.

"Then take it. It is a gift after all." He replied warmly, causing Lucy's heart to leap into her throat haphazardly. Lucy's lip quivered.

"You don't have to say anything. I'm your friend anyway." He added, making Lucy's head spin.

In that moment, Lucy forgot to breathe. She forgot that her heart was beating, she forgot her mind was still whirring, she forgot her stomach was growling angrily for food. Lucy forgot she was sad. She forgot she was friendless. She forgot she was in the dark. She forgot she was alone. Because this child, this person she had only just met had proven her wrong. It was like she was being reeled in out of thick, black liquid, like she was seeing the sun for the first time. He had opened her hopeless eyes. He had brought color back into her life. Friend. Friend. Friend. Friend.

Lucy stared down at his hand enclosing around her right hand and looked back up at him, blushing furiously. He slowly put her right hand down in her lap and turned his gaze towards the sky, turning his head too. Tucking the bread roll into her handy dress pocket, Lucy mimicked the movement. She situated herself so she could stare at the sky in full vigor. They sat there in silence, only hearing the echoes of crickets chirping noisily, and the faint noise of clapping and cheering, but those humanly noises died down as the impending suspense of fireworks hung in the air.

Lucy held her breath.

Then, a spark of light soared up vertically into the sky and it began. A chorus of lights. A showcase of fire and booms spreading through the sky. A loud crackle and a boom would follow every sparkling, exploding light in perfect sync. Tiny sprinkles of color, like rainbow stars would take up the dark blue sky. Every spark shot up like a torpedo felt like an emotion, and she felt she could relate to every single one. It made her want to laugh and cry.

So… This was fireworks.

Lucy stared up in awe at the lights, bursting in every spectrum of color, every shade of color from the rainbow. It was dazzlingly… beautiful. Lucy's breath hitched and she couldn't hold back her emotion any longer. This boy… This night… This array of fireworks…  
The tears came, and in seconds she was crying. Warm tears continued to spill over her face, creating pathways of water and salt down her cheeks, dripping down her chin and splattering upon her dress, darkening her dress a more intense shade of pink. She sobbed, clutching the pink fabric on her dress with no intention of letting go.

"Pretty cool eh- What?! Why are you crying?" A voice exclaimed, flustered suddenly.

Lucy couldn't stop crying. She hadn't cried like this. Not in a long time. She'd forgotten how to feel true emotion. She had closed herself away. But she wouldn't feel that way any longer. The blonde girl beamed and choked out laughter between bursts of sobs. She pressed her wrist to her forehead, and cried, laughing.  
"I'm sorry- It's just so… so beautiful." She cried out, her lips trembling and her eyes continuously wetting her face over and over.

She stared up at the display of light and color, but the boy continued to stare at her, blinking at her crying figure. His lips split into a smile. He grinned. She was so… happy.

He was wrong. She was not hopeless. She never was. A new age was starting for her. She was beginning a new era of happiness.

Lucy clutched her dress and continued to cry, up into the sky as the show grew to an end. She trembled, never swiping away tear, allowing the water to dry to her face. She cried out harder as the last remnants of light were sent flying into the sky, creating a gorgeous representation of an emblem in the sky. It was a sign. It must be… the boy's guild emblem. The symbol. Lucy wailed out, her tears splashing onto the wooden floor.

In that moment she turned to her right, staring at the person whose face was finally illuminated so she could see his face. But she didn't take in his appearance. The clothes he wore. Or his hair color. She was only fixed on his smile. And how incredibly bright it was.

Lucy's tears ended as the crowd roared with clapping and cheers and calls. Her eyes were huge again, and she beamed her biggest smile yet back at him. She stared at him, and he turned his gaze back towards her.  
"Pretty great, huh?" He asked still grinning.

Lucy smiled, strands of tangled blonde hair framing her face, her cheeks red.  
"Pretty great." She murmured.

She stared at the sky, and knew what she had to do. She took a deep breath and turned to face the boy who had helped her.  
"Thank you. For absolutely everything." She said, hopping off the edge of the doorway and landing swiftly on her feet.

The boy copied her movement. There they stood. Facing each other. Not saying a word.

"You're…. leaving." He replied without emotion.

Lucy tensed and nodded. Her new friend didn't say a word.  
"I had fun. And I'm glad we met." Lucy said softly.

The boy didn't reply before he suddenly opened his mouth.  
"Yeah. Me too."

The silence was eminent, and they both still couldn't see each other's faces.  
"You're going home… right?" He replied, breaking through the silence once more.

Lucy inhaled.  
"Yes. There are thing I need to… do over there. Things I have to settle. Things I have to start." She said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

The child nodded.  
"Okay. Good luck."

Lucy stood there. He really didn't know how much he had done for her, in those few hours they spoke. He had changed her. He had revived her, and reformed her. Lucy smiled. How ironic this was. The fact she left the house to make new friends when the first person she met would cause her to turn around and go back. But she wasn't going back for no reason. She would alter herself, and the way she thought about things. She would steel herself. She would learn from her mistakes and grow smarter. She would learn about what her mother had been taught, and teach herself. Lucy would prove her father wrong.  
She would prove herself wrong.

Lucy smiled and walked up to her new friend quickly, throwing her arms over his shoulder and squeezing. She slowly pulled away and speedily planted a peck of her lips across his cheek.  
"Thank you!" She cried out, backing away as fast as she possibly could, before turning around and racing away back from which she came.

The boy stared in shock at her shrinking figure. He shook his head, regaining himself.  
"I'll be at Fairy Tail!" He yelled after her.

"The guild will wait for you! _I'll_ wait for you!" He howled back at her.

Lucy ran away, back to the place she had called her home all her life. She blinked away tears and ran through the brush, taking in the words the boy said. She didn't know who he was. She had not seen his face. She didn't even know his name. Lucy tuned out everything, the sound of her heavy breathing and her feet against the ground dissipated into the background.

**_If you ever feel sad._**

Lucy smiled and ran faster. Lucy would try her best. To be happier than ever.

_**Want a place with friends.**_

She would be friends with everyone. She would be kind to everyone, treat everyone like a friend.**_  
_**

_**Want a home.**_

It was something she would never stop wanting. A true place to call a home. She knew if she worked her hardest, and searched as hard as she could, she would find one.**_  
_**

**_Fairy Tail's your place._**

Lucy smiled. Fairy Tail. She would get there one day. She would see him again. Meet him again. Her very first friend. The first person to treat her with pure and uttermost kindness.

_One day. I'll get there. _

Lucy allowed a few loose tears to fall from her eyes. She glanced at her right hand. She wouldn't forget. It was like he injected memories and hope into that hand.

_Someday we'll meet again. And maybe I'll see your bright smile again.  
_

_Someday._

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**Whew! That was so exhausting to write! And a bit of a pain to post, but other than that, fun to write! I wish I had time to post the last prompt, _Future, _but I have no time! Ack! I wrote this while listening to the ten-hour version of the Fairy Tail main theme, and it helped a lot while a pounded the keyboard with various writing muses.**

**Extremely helpful. I even recommend it for writing your own fics. Thank you guys for everything! I hope you liked this chapter as much as I loved to write it! Please tell me what you think and stay tuned for my next chapter, which will hopefully be posted tomorrow! Thanks again!**


	7. Future

**Hey readers! I'm sad to say... This is the last prompt on the NaLu week list! Eeeeep! I can't believe I did it! I can't believe it's ended! I just want to thank you guys for reading this little one-shot collection, and my heart swells with pride whenever I hear you guys enjoyed it, be it a humble review, favorite, or follow. Thank you so very much! I hope you enjoy this last edition in my NaLu week one-shots!**

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She guessed it wasn't that hard. To try. But deep down, it really was difficult. It was hard to let go of your past, and get in the moment. Right now, she felt the most capable. She had to act. It had been years since she lost her parents. They would want nothing more than to get her in the present. She was thinking about anything but that, her past a constant nag, and Lucy wanting a glimpse into her future.

And it had been nearly a year since she realized she liked Natsu. In a more than a friend way.

Lucy sighed, walking home slowly, lagging. She felt mad at herself for letting another day get by in which she didn't tell him how she felt. And looking at other couples, she felt guilty she hadn't even confessed anything. The other couples in the guild were going steady- Levy and Gajeel were making very steady and obvious advancements to being a couple, Gray and Juvia were steadily dating, even if it wasn't that public from Gray's side. And Erza was getting married. To Jellal. With Makarov's approval.

It was frustrating, but Lucy held through, even through Natsu's stupidity. She obviously liked him, but he couldn't see what a… monkey could! It made her feel stupid too. She'd sent him signals, with none or idiotic replies. With the thought of this, Lucy stormed up a little faster to her home. Suddenly, she froze. She had made a promise with Erza, Levy and Mira. Today was the day she would confess. She stopped, trembling and putting a hand to her mouth. Mira made an oath to herself she would come up with a lame way to send Natsu over.

Lucy felt woozy, and she wanted to sit down. She stood there, taking deep breaths, regaining her steps. Mira never broke an oath. If Erza was there, there was no doubt it would happen. Lucy remembered everything Levy told her this morning. It was a sweet little pep talk. And with a nod to those words, Lucy felt enlightened. Enlightened and scared to death.

Lucy spread her arms out for balance as she walked along the ledge that separated her from water. She hummed as she placed one foot in place of another, making a beat as her feet clapped against the cobblestone road. She sighed, basking in the bright and warm sunlight. It really was a beautiful day. Lucy's smile faltered as she thought of her chances with Natsu. She sighed. They were as likely to be together as a fish sprouting legs and walking about Magnolia. She stuck out her lower lip in a pout.

Lucy wished she could be as brave as Erza at a moment like this. So she could just… say it. All she needed to say were three simple words any way.

"Lucy! Be careful!" A man in a boat called out familiarly, causing Lucy to stop and turn her head in his direction.

Lucy rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Yeah!" His buddy added. "If you fall, we're not coming after you!"

"_Yeah_? Well, I don't expect you to!" Lucy yelled back fiercely as the two men snickered, their boat floating away, leaving Lucy irritated.

Her anger subsided as she remembered what she had been challenged to do. She continued to walk along the edge precariously. He wouldn't even understand, would he? He'd probably laugh it off. Lucy bit her lip. Maybe she really was a silly little girl. Lucy groaned. Of all the people to fall in love with, it had to be that pink-haired idiot.

Lucy inhaled.

_"__If you never tell him, he'll never know!" Mira said, waggling a finger towards her._

_"__Come on Lucy, we're waiting for a confession!" Levy adds, placing a hand on her hip and smiling._

_"__I can trust you to tell him your true feelings, can't I?" Erza asks, winking and clasping Lucy's shoulder._

Lucy smiled weakly and stared down at her feet. Her friends were sweet, and she knew they would do all in their power to help her, but… would it really be enough? Lucy clenched her fists. She already knew what she had to do. Lucy knew she couldn't be a coward and back out. It was her chance. She had to snatch it up before something impeded the moment. If she didn't take the initiative, Natsu wouldn't. He was far too idiotic for that. Lucy beamed, staring up at a lone white cloud, wandering over the blue plain above her.

She just _had_ to. Now was not the moment to have doubts. Fine then, she would just turn around and head back in the direction from which she had come-

"LUCY!"

The said blonde's eyes widened as she flinched and twisted her body towards the familiar voice. She gasped, catching in Natsu's appearance, smiling widely at her as she spun around.  
"Nat-?" Lucy barely finished the sentence when she felt the sudden discomfort that she was, well…

Falling.

"_Kyaaaa!"_ She shrieked, tumbling over her highly elevated shoes and splashing backwards, head-over-heels into the crystalline waters.

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, the cold rush smacking up against her back like a thousand needles. Lucy was still, frozen, her eyes shut and she was petrified in the water. Her lungs already wailed for air, and her body shivered against the icy current. She hadn't even taken the time to inhale before entering the water's realm. Screaming at her body to move, but receiving no response, Lucy panicked. She had only been submerged for about eight seconds, when something gripped her wrist and yanked her forcefully out of the water's grip.

In milliseconds, she was out in open air, in the bright light again. Reluctantly, she opened her blurry eyes, blinking excess water out of them and closing them once more to get rid of droplets in her eyelashes.

She choked on water and coughed, her body demanding she do so. She breathed heavily, her mind still trying to process what had happened in the last ten seconds. Feeling hands grasping her forearms and waist, she stared up at her rescuer.  
"N-Natsu?" She asked, still soaked, her clothes clinging to her.

She squinted up at him, as he glowered down at her with no good intentions. Lucy gulped. Natsu quietly pulled her completely out of the water, carefully setting her back on her feet. Lucy blinked, shocked. She slowly turned her eyes back up at him, Natsu's expression emotionless, with only a hint of irritation.

"Are you crazy or something?" He muttered. Lucy bit her lip before beaming back up at him placidly.

"It was… bound to happen sooner or later. Thanks for… going after me." She replied gratefully, carefully pulling away from his grip, allowing her hands to fall to her sides. She hung her head, not wanting to look him in the eye. They stood there a few seconds, not looking at each other or saying anything. Lucy felt useless. She frowned slightly, sensing Natsu's irritation. Was she… a burden?

Lucy felt defeated, as she noticed her ankles begin the move as she picked her feet up and began to walk away slowly. She pursed her lips, grabbing her opposite elbows, still soaked head to toe. She loosed her tense muscles and swayed as she walked away. She took deep breaths and wanted to cry. She hadn't even tried. She hadn't said anything worthwhile. Lucy lowered her head again.

She was going to… head home. She had no business staying where was anyway. Not when she couldn't tell him.

"Where ya' goin?"

Lucy gasped as a hand reached out and grabbed her elbow, spinning around in the other direction. She frowned, confused.  
"Home…?" She replied, her voice soft.

Natsu blinked down at her, before giving her sympathetic eyes, confusing her.  
"Aw, you don't have to be sad! Here- you can tell me whatever! We're partners, right?!" He exclaimed.

Lucy shot him a bewildered look, stuttering.  
"WH-What?!" She sputtered.

Natsu grinned at her, revealing sharp canines.  
"Mira said you were sad, so I came to cheer you up!" He said in reply.

Lucy blinked, smacking her free hand to her forehead. Well, Mira wasn't exactly lying. She sighed.  
"Natsu… I'm not really sad. Mira's just blowing the whole thing out of proportion. Besides… Weren't you just upset with me five seconds ago?" She spat out.

It was Natsu's turn to be surprised. He stared at her, water dripping from his bangs, streaming down his face.  
"What?! I wasn't mad at you! Just commenting on your recklessness, that's all-"

Lucy snorted.  
"You're one to talk."

"-and your clumsiness."

Lucy glared.  
"You startled me, so I fell in! I'm not clumsy!" She retorted loudly.

Natsu placed a hand on his hip and patted Lucy's drenched head.  
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that!"

Lucy growled, moving backwards.  
"Ugh fine! I'm going home-"She grumbled, turning away and stomping off.

"Wait a sec!"

Lucy felt herself be caught by the wrist again. She turned to face Natsu again, still irritated at his immature behavior.  
"What is it- Hey-"Lucy's eyes widened as she felt herself be crushed against his chest in a hug.  
"You're still sad… About something." He murmured, his chin resting atop her messy blonde hair.

Lucy's body failed to react. Her arms were still hanging limply by her sides.  
"It's nothing you need to worry about." She replied with a slight smile.

"I don't believe that." He replied huskily, tightening his grip around her shoulders.

Lucy's eyes widened again and she felt obliged to do something thing again. The weight and pressure of her duty to say something- _anything _– took up space in her mind.

What could she possibly say? And how could she say it? She was so caught up in the moment. She couldn't just let the chance pass her by- could she?

Lucy relaxed, pulling away gently and prying his fingers off of her damp forearm. She smiled weakly up at him and sighed.  
"Look, I've been meaning to tell you this for a while." She laughed softly. "Mira sent you after me so I could get the chance to tell you something. I'm not really sad. I'm confused. And stressed." Lucy brought a tentative hand up his chest.

Lucy averted her eyes away from his face.  
"I'm sorry I took so long to tell you this but-"Lucy finally brought her eyes up to meet his.

Lucy's breath caught in their throat. She couldn't say it. Lucy wanted to say everything, but her voice wouldn't comprehend anything she willed it to do. She searched his expectant green eyes and she sighed, her breath fluttering. No, Lucy realized. Words wouldn't sum it up. Lucy steeled herself sucked in air through her teeth. It wasn't about what she was going to do. It wasn't about she could have done.

It was about what she was doing.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had reached up, grabbed his still-soaked scarf and pressed her lips against his. In seconds, she was kissing him.

Lucy had shut off everything her books had told her, everything her mind had thought. In that moment, her past didn't matter. And to _hell_ with her future. All she needed then was right in front of her.

Her breath was hot and his lips were rough against hers, but they were always comforting, unlike the way she imagined it would be.

He didn't react to her, and Lucy didn't know what he was feeling. Her heart was racing and she kissed him firmly but not forcefully, sending her feelings quite clearly across the table. Her eyes were watery, and she didn't come up for air, not once, as she moved her mouth against his. It made her weak at the knees. It made her feel like she was on fire.  
It was the most passionate thing she had ever engaged in.

Lucy closed her lips and pulled away, opening her eyes with several blinks. She clung to his scarf and stared up into eyes, smiling weakly.  
"I'm in love with you, idiot." She concluded.

Her breathing was still feverish, offbeat even. Lucy sighed. She had done it, and she didn't regret anything. She had said everything she needed to, even if she really hadn't done so much with her words.

Not exactly.

"Lucy…"

She didn't look up.

"I don't-"

Lucy smiled to herself sadly. Knew it.

"I don't know why you didn't say anything sooner."

Lucy froze, flitting her head back up towards his face.  
"W-What?!"

He smiled down at her grabbing her hands and leaning down.  
"Well, you didn't exactly have to say anything, actually. The kiss was enough." He said quietly.

"You pretty much told me everything I needed to know." He said, nodding.

Lucy laughed, beaming. Natsu beamed back. Lucy waited for a reply.

"So it's safe to say I agree with everything you put into that kiss!" Natsu said, almost in a matter-of-factly way.

Lucy frowned.

"So…"

"So… what?"

Lucy raised a brow, growing impatient. She should've known.  
"Natsu, if I may ask- Do you even know what I meant when I said I was in love you?" She dead-panned.

Natsu frowned, raising a hand to scratch his head.  
"Well…" Lucy rolled her eyes. "No." He said, sounding embarrassed.

And the battle was only half won. She should've seen this coming. This _was_ Natsu after all. Lucy took a deep breath. She would handle this situation calmly. Calmly…  
"Natsu… When I kissed you. That's pretty much the exact same meaning as when I said I loved you. Got it now?" Lucy hinted at concentrating Natsu.

Natsu frowned at Lucy, his eyes narrowed.  
"So I guess… I'm in love with you too?"

Lucy grinned. She was having way too much fun with this, feeling more mischievous than ever.  
"I don't know, you tell me." She replied with a laugh.

Natsu inhaled again.  
"Okay. I love you too, Luce."

There. Lucy was warmed. It may not have been perfect, but it was perfect enough for her. In those moments, they decided to head back to the guild. They were soaking wet and they were starving. At least the guild could help them with one thing. Lucy felt electric as Natsu reached out again, intertwining his fingers with hers. Soon, they'd be back in that crazy guild hall, surrounded by crazy people with crazy antics. They would say 'I told you so'. Not much had changed in the world. Nothing, not really. Lucy glanced to Natsu's grinning face, and when he kissed her cheek, everything felt perfect. She was so happy. Lucy was finally content.

She didn't need her past to be with him. Everything that had already happened had ceased to be important. She didn't know what the future held, if they could even hold up in a harsh world. All she needed was the moments in between. She didn't even know if he was even going to _be _in her future.

Natsu was her present. And that was what Lucy really needed, after all.

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**Whyyyy!? I had infinite amounts of fun writing ****_all _****of my one-shots, I'll have you know! This week has helped grow as a writer tremendously! Thank you so much for checking out this collection! Thank you, every one who has provided feedback and has trusted me enough to favorite and follow this fanfiction. It means so much to me. I will hopefully be posting many more NaLu fan fictions in the future, as I am very much interested in this couple! Thank you so much everyone! I love you all!  
**


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